Holidaymakers still flock to West Suriname

Many people keep going to West Suriname to have fun and to relax. The village chief of the Amerindian village of Apoera, Carlo Lewis, pointed out that many villages in the western part of Suriname are still being visited by holidaymakers. The visitors reportedly take the road that leads to Apoera and locations where they can swim. Lewis is urging these people to take into account the seriousness of the current situation. “People must stay home instead of staying the night in the hinterland. There is a lockdown in place from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. but people from the city are choosing to have fun in the hinterland,” said the village chief who added that local residents often come face to face with men who are drunk and who want to cause trouble at the recreational resorts. The visitors reportedly do not follow the rules. The village chief made it clear that “I expect the government to take action.” He explained that the government could establish more check points at Pikin Saron and the surrounding areas. The village chiefs made it clear that they do not want any visitors until further notice. The district commissioner of Para, Armand Jurel, last week made it clear that the recreational resorts in his district are closed until further notice. “We will take firm action against the owners of the recreational resorts and the visitors,” said DC Jurel who added that large numbers of people are flocking to his district and that they ignore the precautionary measures as they do not stick to social distancing. The DC made it clear that people who are caught at the recreational resorts will be evicted and that disobedient people will also be taken to the police station. “It is in everybody’s best interest to support the measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.”